The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-08
A GAS JUBILEE AT TOLEDO
Big Celebration in Honor of the Intro
ductiOn of the New and Cheap Fuel.
Casually Mentions that 1t Is Possible
indianapolis May Soon Have Gas.

natural gas Juo1lee IN nonor or the arrival or
The new fuel in Toledo, it being piped from the
Hancock and Wood county fields. Stand-pipes
we're erected and lit up the city in all directions.
A grand open-air meeting held. Mayor
hamilton presided, and ex- President Hayes, the
)rator of the occasion, spoke as follows:
Fellow Citizens:-The people of Toledo cele-
brate to-day the most important step which has
over been taken in the material progress of
heir city. The event we considering is, be-
FQEd all question. q long stride forward and up
ward The magnitude OF its probable results
fully justiies the attention it receives from the
press. the business men, the property owners
and the general public. It must be confessed
pt the threshold that the growth of Toledo dur
ing the last twenty five thirty years has not
been as rapid as its friends hoped and expected
ural and inevitable. The location of Toledo on
the map is decidedly and unmist akably favora-
bic to the rapid building up of a great city.
fs is the uoblest fresh water
highway in the worid-the highway
formed by the great lakes of North America
ana the matchless rivers which connect them
with each other and with the ocean. On this
highway Toledo sits near its middle point the
mouth of the largest river that enters from the
south. the waters of the lakes surrounded on
three sides by the richest lands Of Ohio, Indiana
and Michigan, and at the southwestern end of
Lake Erie, that one of the central lakes whose
shores more denseIy peopled and more pro-
nuctive than any other lands on the great water
highway of the best of all the continents of the
globe. The promise which the map made for
reason OF single element which the map did
not show, it could not, in the nature of things,
be Immediately and fully realized. Performance
did not equal the promise. 1t ID true to be sure.
that at ali times the progress of Toledo has been
solid and encouraging. The growth amply suf
fcent TO prevent disappointment, if the
psctations of its friends had not been
so large. In 1850 the population
by the 13 768 in 1870 it had in
creased to 81. 524 and in 1880 10 40, lab.
Now, it is reasonably estimated from the usual
data, that it exceeds 80. 000 At all times in the
history of Toledo its business has greatly
ceeded that which is usually found in cities of
the increase of population and business has al
ways been strong and healthy, but it did not
equal the sanguine predictions of its friends.
Hence, DISAPPOINTMENT and disposition with
some to under-rate the real advantages of the
city. One explanation of this is that mere
map cannot show all the elements of progress In
modern civilization. In the early days of the
city famous pamphlet was published entitled,
The Future Great City The author was a
shrewd observer and clear and forcible writer
He presented. very intelligenty the different
elements which enter into the making of large
city. But there was one omission in the orig
inal edition-there q such word as coal
During the early history Of this city, Pitts
burg, Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati ali
had cheap coal, and Toledo had not These
cities bad that which moves the world along
steam. cheaper and more abundant than Toledo.
In recent years, however, and gradually, this
enterprising city, by railroads. has reached all
of the best coal fields Of Ohio, and has now
taken her proper place in the competitive march
between the cities of this part of the United
States. Here is a city of more than so, 900 peo-
ple with water communication with all of the
great lakes. with the rivers connecting them,
and the ocean; with canals uniting the lake sys-
tenn of navigation to the Mississippi system; with
seventeen railroads. having 124 daily passenger
trains; with yearly receipts of grain, 40 600 900
bushels; with yearly receipts of lumber and
slaves, $4,000. 900 feet; with yearly receipts of
ore, $50 900 tons; with $50 manufacturing estab-
lishments; with an increasing volume of trade
and commerce Of every description, fully CORE
spending to the foregoing figures; with a health
full location, good climate. cheap homes and
cheap living with all of these advantages and
others not named for a capstone to the column
representing the attractions OF Toledo, now
comes to this favored spot in profuse abundance
the best and cheapest fuel ever used in the
world
'tAt this point we reach the only doubt the
9ravest question touching the future Will this
beautiful, this delightful. this matchess fuel
lastf Has it come to stay? Will it be exhausted
in ten years. or twenty yearsf Will it outiasr
the present generation of men2 The question,
vital as in seems Toledo, at least, can safely
consider with the utmost calmness and impair
TALLY. When natural gas disappears, If it must
disappear, therock on which the prosperity of |
Toledo rests will still remain. This city will !
still be on the worlds highway. with the
sources I have suggested, and with a large |
patch of as good country as the sun
shines upon still Immediately trbu- |
eers will the Saok swam 70 fro@
her depths continue to give this city natural |
gas9 This may be confidently said: Nobody |
absolutely knows But number of things may |
be mentioned which will aid us in our con-
lecture as u hat is probable. Two com panies. |
which We may assume are in part, least,
composed of long heaosd and. level headed men,
have invested, on their faith in the permanency
of the gas supply. about So. 600. 900. Again, the
last volume of Appeton's Annual Encyclopedia
has a short but interesting article on the whole
question. and concludes with this moderate [
whether the supply is destined TO shortly give
out in consequence of the increasing and wasteful
demands made upon it, is purely problematical; but
the unvarying flow of the best wells to indicate
that for many years to fears need be enter
tanned of exhausting the supply.
"On this statement of the cyconedia wish
to make only this statement The companies
which supply Toledo do not depend a single,
Or few wells. IT, indeed, in a few years. the |
wells now in use give out these companies have
the means to draw from others already secured
in succession almost indefinite. Without pur-
suing further the inquiry as to the staying quail
tiles of the new fuel. let me conclude with few
words about its utility for the factory and for
domestic purposes. quote from an intelligent
presentation of the whole subject by the secre-
tary of the business mems committee, Mr.. Will
lam III. Maher:
Gas is the ideal fuel and its strikes from the
payroll of every factory long list of expenses from
he horses earting the coal Transfers. laborers fire.
men. down to the man who wheels out the ashes and
nders. 1t does away with monthly expense bills of
'rate-bars and frebrick. and when used in furnaces
or reducing metals sends out a product much in
reased in value the markets. 1t cannot like coal
10 shipped to all parts of the land. 1t cannot like
' be barreled or piped long distances. 1t must be
ised in the territory TIA besses with it's
hey who shall avail themselves of it's benefcent ad
'antages must to it. in the words of Ruth thy |
country shall be my country AS home comfort |
latural gas is the perfection of fuel No dust no
shes curtains and ceilings are saved; uniformity of |
emperature secured, insuring freedom from colds
nd other complaints due to the alienation of heat
nd cold No cellar to be filed with dusty coal; no
roken backs from lifting: trouble with kndling
IN cold morning; only the lighting of a match and
ehold! the FIRE.
There need be no unfriendly rivalry between
he cities and towns which have the new fuel 1t
5 found in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and
robably in other States 1t has frightened and
lorifed Pittsburg and Wheeling. It is believed
hat the enterprising business men of Indianap-
lis will soon carry il 20 that beautiful and
ttTactive city A group o. towns near enough
o Toledo to share its prosperity. and to con
ribute by their growth to the prosperity of this
ity. are all in greater or less degree in posses
ion of the coveted prize, notably Findlay the !
reinal discoverer of this field has been, and for